Top BBC shows like Doctor Who, Top Gear and Strictly Come Dancing face being privatised under new cost-cutting plans at the corporation.

Hundreds of millions of pounds’ worth of TV programmes currently produced by the BBC will no longer be protected from outside competition under reforms announced by director general Tony Hall today.

In return, Lord Hall wants the BBC's in-house production company to be free to make shows directly for other broadcasters, particularly in America, in a bid to generate millions of pounds.

Shows like Top Gear are currently made by the BBC's in-house production arm. Under proposals by the corporation's chief Lord Hall, BBC producers will have to compete with private companies

Lord Hall wants more freedom for the BBC's production companies to make shows for American networks in a bid to raise more cash

HOW THE BBC MAKES ITS SHOWS

Half of the shows on the BBC currently have to be made in-house, with a quarter produced by private companies.

The remaining quarter of programmes are up for competition between the BBC and outside producers.

But the BBC's director general Lord Hall wants private companies to be able to bid to produce all TV programmes.

In return he wants the BBC's in-house production arm to be free to make shows for rival networks - particularly in the US.

He hopes this will raise vital cash for the BBC to help it cope with the budget squeeze imposed by the Government through the license fee freeze.

The BBC insisted its top programmes would not be 'privatised', as all the revenue generated would come back to the BBC and ploughed back into more programming.

The 'competition revolution' will be announced by Lord Hall in a speech today.

Ahead of the announcement Lord Hall said: 'I want to nail this notion that somehow we are inefficient with the public’s money.

'This is a something-for-something offer where we want to change and we hope to be allowed to do so.'

Implementing the changes would require the agreement of the BBC Trust, communications regulator Ofcom and the Government.

Lord Hall is expected to reject calls by rival TV companies for the BBC to privatise all of its production.

The BBC chief believes this would squander years of expertise - and would throw away the chance to make millions from selling TV shows abroad.

But the BBC will scrap the current quota system under which at least 50 per cent of BBC programmes are made internally, 25 per cent are made by independent private companies - with the remainder open to both.

Critics of the BBC claim the quota system is out of date - and that programmes could be made much more cheaply outside.

Some of the corporation’s most popular programmes are already made by the private sector, including Sherlock - produced by Hartswood Films - and Question Time, which is made by Mentorn Media.

The broadcaster has to find £100 million of savings - and faces further cuts when the BBC comes to renegotiate its royal charter with the Government in 2016.

Lord Hall is expected to say: 'If independent producers can take their ideas to any broadcaster around the world, I would want the same for BBC Production.'

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The chair of Channel 4 today said he would be happy to buy programmes off the BBC.

He said: 'If they are good enough and meet our remit, then of course. We already buy programmes from ITV.'

But he added that Lord Hall should have done more to reform the way the BBC is funded. He said the licence fee was out-dated and called for the BBC to allow people to pick and choose what they paid for.

He said: 'Can you really imagine in 30 years time there will be a licence fee.'

Lord Burns said: 'What better way of having more competition than if you want a service you pay for it, if you don’t want it you don’t pay for it. That is a very old-fashioned view of competition.'

Lord Hall, the Director-General of BBC, hopes the 'competition revolution' will 'nail' the idea that the Corporation squanders public cash

In May, Culture Secretary Sajid Javid said 'everything' would be looked at over how to fund the BBC when its royal charter comes up after the next election.

Senior Tories have previously called for the TV license - currently frozen at £145.50 a year - to be scrapped.

Mr Javid’s Labour counterpart Harriet Harman has described the licence fee as 'a means to an end' and said alternatives should be considered.